


Damage Control

by sabinelagrande



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: 5 Things, Community: fluff_friday, Episode Related, Exhaustion, Multi, fantasies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-05
Updated: 2008-12-05
Packaged: 2017-10-05 06:01:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/pseuds/sabinelagrande
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four ways they'd've gotten past it, and the way they did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Damage Control

_1\. Rodney_

Rodney falls into his bed and sleeps for thirty-six hours straight.

It is glorious.

_2\. John_

Teyla presses their foreheads together, and her skin feels so soft and cool against his. "Please get some sleep," she urges him, kissing his cheek.

"I will," he promises, but there's just something he needs first.

"Elizabeth," he means to say when the door to her room opens, but he doesn't even get the first syllable out.

Neither Elizabeth nor Carson see him at first, because Carson's got his back to the door, covering her face and neck with kisses that look more desperate than sensual. Elizabeth is murmuring sweet low things- _it's going to be okay, I'm right here, Carson, don't worry, I've got you, we're safe_\- that John can only barely make out.

She catches his eye over Carson's shoulder, her eyebrows shooting up in alarm, but John holds a finger to his lips and backs soundlessly out of her room.

The door to Ford's room is closed when he passes it, and he can't ignore the ache in his chest- but he's going to get him back, dammit, and soon.

Rodney's isn't, but when John sticks his head in, he discovers it's because Rodney has passed out in his chair, boots and jacket still on, laptop still running. John leaves him like he is, other than tugging a blanket over him and smoothing his hair back from his forehead.

John locks himself in his room, falling heavily against his door and rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. His people are okay. Everything is going to be okay. He is going to be okay.

Now he can sleep.

_3\. Carson_

"I made you some tea," Elizabeth says, placing a silver tray on the table and pouring out a cup for him. She drops in two lumps of sugar before passing it over, her fingers brushing over his.

"I'd been saving these, but you look like you need them more than I do," Rodney tells him, adding a pack of Walker's shortbread to the tray and patting his shoulder reassuringly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sleep for thirty-six hours straight."

"Everything is going to be okay," John promises, stroking his face, and Carson believes it.

_4\. Elizabeth_

There are hands touching her, and she doesn't even know whose- just that they are deft and masculine and belong to someone she trusts, and that is more than enough.

She doesn't want to think, she doesn't want to speak, all she wants is to sink into this feeling. There are lips on her neck, kissing and moving and being joined by strong fingers to take her tension away. She is being touched all over, and it's all she can do- all she wants- to lie there and let it wash over her.

Someone presses his strong, steady fingers inside her, opening her gently. She spreads her legs for him, aching to feel something other, better than exhaustion and panic.

When he slides into her, she finally feels at peace.

_5._

Rodney falls into Elizabeth's bed and sleeps for thirty-six hours straight.

"Is it healthy to snore that much?" Elizabeth asks Carson as she slides into bed beside them.

"At least we know he's still alive," he replies, taking a last sip of his tea before reaching across her to put the cup on the nightstand. "I was starting to worry for a moment."

The door opens unexpectedly, and Carson throws the duvet over his head in self-defense.

"Elizabeth," John says, looking as frazzled as they certainly all feel, and Carson relaxes, swearing under his breath. "I-" He stops short, looking somehow less surprised than he should to see all of them in bed together. "Am I- Should- I'll just go," he says, but he doesn't move.

Elizabeth sighs, tucking herself in closer to Carson to make room. "For god's sake, Major, just get over here."

John stands there for about ten seconds, just dumbfounded, before he starts shedding surplus clothing as quickly as he can.

It takes a little doing to get them all comfortably situated, and they very nearly roll Rodney off the bed trying to move him, but Elizabeth's bed is deceptively large and the space between them unexpectedly small.

"How come you got a king and I got a twin?" John grumbles, without much heat to his words. "I'd like to think I rate a double at least."

Elizabeth's sure she'd have a really clever comeback for that, but she's rather distracted by the hands that've started moving underneath her clothing. She can't tell one from the other, so she kisses Carson first, simply because he's closer.

"Don't you think we might wake McKay?" John asks, dropping his voice, before kissing along the back of her neck.

"He's been up for a week and a half- he'd sleep through the Rapture," Carson assures him. "Also, I may have put lorazepam in his sandwich- for purely medical reasons, mind."

John has her shirt off before she's actually realized he's done it, holding it up like he's just pulled off a particularly clever magic trick, and Carson laughs, muffled behind his hand but still the best and sweetest thing she's heard in weeks.

Elizabeth relaxes, letting her eyelids flutter closed.

It's going to be okay.


End file.
